Team PokerStars Pro, John Duthie, Announces Departure from Squad

Team PokerStars Pro, one of the most renowned squads of professional poker players in the online gaming industry, has just lost one of its most valuable players. After the expiration of his contract, England’s John Duthie, long a staple of the PokerStars pro team, has decided to move on from his sponsorship with the company.

The news of Duthie’s departure comes soon after Team PokerStars Pro lost another high-profile professional, Joe Hachem just before the holiday season. On 31st December of last year, Duthie’s contract came up for renewal as well and, to the surprise of many, he decided to let his PokerStars deal expire. Duthie, a 53 year old from Leeds, England, has a storied career, having cashed more than $2.7 million in live tournament prizes (including a single, $1.4 million win at the 2000 edition of the Poker Million) and holding the position of Chief Executive Officer for the European Poker Tour.

Rumours on numerous forums had been forecasting Duthie’s departure before it’s official announcement, claiming that the pro was upset over PokerStars site and VIP program changes. In the press release, reporting John Duthie’s decision to leave Team PokerStars Pro, the player only said that he had “simply [didn’t] want to renew my contract. [I] love the idea of being ‘tribune of the people’ but sadly this is not the case.”